I’m on day #2 of my detox and my body is starting to wonder why it hasn’t consumed any Christmas cookies. I’m craving sugar just a bit but I know that after just a couple of days of my no-added sugar policy I’ll be A-OK. I managed to get in a good workout this morning and topped it off with some fresh produce to energize my morning. If only the arctic temperatures would improve I’d be able to get a bit more motivated to move from my couch to my office! Thankfully I have a laptop to get work done buried under a blanket.
My secret weapon to working through my sugar-withdrawals are my delicious Brownie Energy Bites. And yes, they really do taste like brownies. These tasty little ‘dessert’ bites are made with only a few ingredients and are the best distraction for when your body is craving sugar. They are made of Medjool dates, almond butter and cocoa powder and rolled in toasted hazelnuts. There is no added sugar and you can feel good about eating them because there are only 110 calories in each ball!
Dates offer a lot of really great nutritional benefits including the fact that they are high in fiber to keep you full and also regular, they help to reduce blood pressure, and they are high in vitamin A and K which boost immunity. The almond butter gives you a small helping of protein while the cocoa powder gives them a rich chocolate taste. Hidden inside of each of these energy bites is a toasted hazelnut for an added crunch.
Did you catch the details of my 14-day detox yesterday? Join me for the next two weeks as I strive to clean up my diet and live a healthier life in 2018! The first step is making a batch of my Brownie Energy Bites to curb your sugar cravings.
- ½ cup whole hazelnuts
- 12 whole Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- ⅔ cup almond butter
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spread nuts on a small baking sheet and bake at 350°F until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes, stirring once. Cool 10 minutes then rub off skins. Reserve 20 hazelnuts. Pulse remaining hazelnuts in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer chopped nuts to a small bowl.
- Pulse dates in food processor until almost pastelike. Add almond butter, cocoa, 2 tablespoons water, vanilla, and salt and process until well combined. Divide into 20 equal portions and roll each portion around 1 whole hazelnut to form a ball. Roll each brownie ball in chopped hazelnuts to coat. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
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